Realities Apart
by ReganX
Summary: A peek into four different realties, a year after ‘Will The Real Sam And Jack Please Stand Up?’.
1. I: And Baby Makes

**Title:** Realities Apart

**Author:** ReganX

**Rating: **PG/K+

**Season:** Four, I guess.

**Spoilers: **Nothing specific.

**Summary: **A peek into four different realties, a year after 'Will The Real Sam And Jack Please Stand Up?'.

**Author's Note I:** For story reasons, I didn't feel that I could be as shippy as I wanted to be between Sam and Jack (our ones) and, obviously, it was far too soon to show anything between General O'Neill and Samantha, so I decided to write these stories and give a glimpse at what happened next.

**Disclaimer: **'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

**Author's Note II: **First up - Jonathan and Dr Carter.

* * *

**And Baby Makes... **

**_SGC Infirmary_ **

"I'm telling you, it's a boy."

"Who's carry the baby here? Haven't you ever heard of mother's insinct? It's a girl."

"Nuh-uh." Jonathan insisted, laying a gentle hand on his wife's - he loved that word - slightly swelling stomach. "Come on, little Jonathan, kick for Daddy." He frowned when nothing happened. "He's sleeping."

"Of course _she_ is. And even if it is a boy - which it won't be - we're not calling him Jonathan, it would get confusing having two of you in the house and no child of mine will ever answer to Junior."

"So Samuel is out too?"

"Absolutely." She told him decisively. "How you could even think of calling our daughter that is beyond me."

"How about Jacob, after your dad?"

"Or Georgina, after General Hammond."

"I can live with George."

"Georgina." She corrected sternly. "Right, sweetie?" She addressed her barely visible bump, smiling triumphantly when she felt movement in response to her words. "Georgina approves."

"How do you feel about Publius?" Jonathan inquired, a mischievous expression on his face as he remembered the tearful leader on P7L-886.

"You'd better be kidding."

"Think about it," He said warming to his theme. "It'll be unique, you can bet that nobody else in his class will have the same name."

"With very good reason."

He ignored her interuption, reflecting seriously on the name. "And we can use Jonathan as a middle name, one of his middle names, anyway."

"How many middle names are you planning on inflicting on our innocent child?" Dr Carter demanded.

"Three." His tone was matter of fact. "We can't not name him after your dad and General Hammond should be in there too - what about Publius Jonathan Jacob George Carter-O'Neill."

"Darling," His wife's tone was one of honeyed sweetness. "You no longer get a say in the baby's name."

"But..."

"And it is definitely, without any doubt whatsoever, going to be a girl."

"Twenty bucks says that it's a boy." He challenged

"And in five months time when our daughter makes her appearance, you have to..." She combed her mind for a suitable forfeit. "Give up using duct tape until she's sleeping through the night."

"You're evil!"

"You love me anyway."

"Fine, if it's a boy you have to cook dinner for a week."

"Which of us are you trying to punish? Me or you?"

She had a point. Despite her brilliance in what seemed like just about every other area, her cooking abilities were less than stellar.

Much less.

"I'll think of something." He promised in what he hoped was a suitably foreboding tone.

She rolled her eyes, patting her stomach. "Don't worry, Georgina, Daddy's really a very smart man. He'll be teaching you all about the constellations as soon as you're old enough to sit up."

"And Mommy will teach you the exact physics behind the stars. And how to make cool inventions." Jonathan added, unable to resist baiting her once more. "Right, Publius?"

Dr Carter sighed, addressing her stomach once more. "You're very, very lucky that you're a girl."

The debate ceased temporarily when Dr Fraiser entered to begin her examination of the mother-to-be. "How are you feeling? Any nausea? Tiredness?"

"None." Dr Carter reported, shivering slightly as the cold gel was spread over her stomach.

"Some pretty weird cravings, though." Jonathan supplied helpfully.

Dr Carter frowned reprovingly at him. "Our daughter knows what she needs. Don't you, sweetie?"

"Let's settle this right now." Jonathan challenged, watching Janet move the scanner across his wife's abdomen. "Who should we expect in five months time, Publius or Georgina?"

"You're actually considering calling your innocent child Publius?" Janet asked disbelievingly before looking across at Dr Carter. "Sam, please tell me that you're vetoing that." She relaxed when her friend nodded.

"She needs to veto it?" Jonathan pounced on the doctor's words. "Are you saying it's a boy?"

"It's a girl, isn't it? Tell him, Janet."

"I thought that you didn't want to know the sex."

"We do now." Jonathan said firmly. "It's a boy, am I right?"

"It's a girl." Dr Carter insisted at the same time.

"You're right." Janet received two puzzled looks in response to her words.

"Which of us is right?" Dr Carter asked at last.

Janet smirked. "Both of you."

"Twins?" Dr Carter was enchanted.

"Yes. A boy and a girl." Janet told them, smiling. "And they're both perfectly healthy."

"Sweet! Two for the price of one." Jonathan exclaimed approvingly.

"It's easily known that you aren't the one carrying them." Janet remarked dryly.

"Next time." Dr Carter said. "Maybe I can ask the Asgard or Tollan to think of a way."

"Don't you dare!" Jonathan warned good-naturedly, before clearing his throat. "About the name Publius, won't you even consider..."

"No!"

THE END

_Author's Note: Colonel Carter and Major O'Neill are up next. In the meantime, please review._


	2. II: Silver Oak Leaves

**Disclaimer: **'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

**Author's Note I: **What happened in Colonel Carter and Major O'Neill's reality (aka The Twilight Zone)?

**Author's Note II: **I should probably warn you that the Kinsey in this reality is ever so slightly different to the Kinsey we all know and loathe.

* * *

**Silver Oak Leaves**

The 'gate room was swathed in red, blue and white bunting, the flags standing behind the podium that Walter, entrusted with the prestigious task of preparing for the visit, had spent more time that he would have cared to admit arranging to his satisfaction.

The red carpet covering the ramp leading to the stargate had been vacuumed and fluffed within an inch of its life.

Any Goa'uld foolish enough to choose today to launch their attack and ruin the carefully made preparations would have Walter to answer to.

Lined up in perfectly pressed dress uniforms the personnel of the SGC looked as though none of them ever had anything to do with a task more dangerous than the deep space radar telemetry that was their official cover.

The assembled group came to attention as the doors opened and the President entered, escorted by General Hammond.

SG-1, standing in line on one side of the ramp, returned the broad smiles the President gave them as he passed the team on his way to the podium.

"At ease." President Kinsey said warmly, surveying the people assembled before him. "Now, you all know that I'm not one for long speeches."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Major O'Neill quipped, knowing perfectly well that the other man wouldn't take offence. His wife and commanding officer shot him a reproving frown but her stern expression was ruined by the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Kinsey chuckled good-naturedly, meeting Colonel Carter's eyes. "Maybe you need to set him to scrubbing a few toilets when we're done here, Colonel." He joked, waiting for the ripple of laughter to subside before he continued. "In a way, it's a shame that this program has to remain a secret and that the people of the world can never know how much they owe the people in this room, or how many heroes walk among them. You risk your lives every day in a way more dangerous and fantastic than any of us could have ever dreamed. Understand that I represent every person of this great nation when I salute your ongoing heroic spirit. You should be proud - I know that I am." He paused for a few moments to allow the applause to die down. "And I'm still waiting to hear about you lot naming a planet after me." He chided SG-1 jokingly.

"We'll see what we can do, sir." Colonel Carter promised.

"We just want to find a nice one." Major O'Neill added.

"Good." President Kinsey smiled at the pair before clearing his throat. "I have one other small bit of business. Please come to attention."

General Hammond moved forward, slipping something into Colonel Carter's hand.

The President waited for silence before continuing. "Given how disrespectful he's been, maybe I shouldn't be doing this -but I'd never want it said that I held a grudge. The President of the United States has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity and abilities of Major Jack O'Neill. Major Jack O'Neill is promoted to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force." He beckoned to the other man to step forward. "Come here, son."

"You know, I'm not that much younger than you."

General Hammond and Colonel Carter were smiling broadly as they replaced his insignia with those of a Lieutenant Colonel.

"You knew about this, didn't you?"

Colonel Carter shrugged in response to her husband's accusation. "Maybe." Ignoring protocol, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Congratulations."

"I can stay on SG-1, right?"

"Of course." General Hammond assured him, knowing better than to part the pair.

"Sweet!"

"Now," President Kinsey cut in, his eyes twinkling as he smiled proudly at the other man."Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Jack O'Neill."

"I, Jack O'Neill..."

THE END.

_Author's Note: Next up, Samantha and General O'Neill. In the meantime, please review._


	3. III: Home

**Disclaimer:** 'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

**Author's Note I:** Thanks for the reviews, everybody.

**Author's Note II:** Samantha and General O'Neill, one year later.

**

* * *

**

**Home **

_**SGA **_

He's not her Jack.

She's not his Sam.

Though she had known that he wasn't her husband when she had invited him to return to her reality with her, it had still been difficult for her to adjust to having so similar to the man she had loved around. He had the same face, the same eyes, the same voice, the same hands as her Jack and there were times when a look, a gesture or a turn of phrase would catch her off guard and she would look at him and see her husband.

He never spoke of it, but she knew that it was the same for him.

He had offered to leave, to transfer out of the SGA or to use the mirror to find another reality, not wanting his presence to make her uncomfortable but she refused to hear of it, insisting that it was okay.

And after a while it was.

Though the similarities between the husband she had lost and the man who had become a part of her life were obvious, there were differences too.

Her Jack's abhorrence of paperwork and the numerous excuses he would come up with to escape it had been all but legendary whereas his counterpart dealt with it efficiently and without complaint.

Her Jack found fishing too inactive; he liked to be on the move, hiking or horse riding during the weekends they spent at the cabin his uncle had bequeathed him, but General O'Neill found fishing relaxing, even when there were no fish to be caught.

Her Jack could be a joker, while the general was more serious.

She couldn't pinpoint when she began calling him 'Jon' and he began to address her as 'Samantha' but using different names helped her to accept that Jon was not her late husband, that they were two different people, despite outward appearances.

It was only when she was confident that she could think of Jon as an individual in his own right, rather than as a substitute for Jack and that it was the same for him as far as he and his Sam were concerned that she accepted his first, tentative invitation to dinner.

**_

* * *

_**

****

**_P2G-713_ **

General Hammond had not been able to hide his amusement when the other general had politely but determinedly declined his offer to share the command responsibilities of the SGA, asking for a place on an offworld team instead.

He felt far more at home in the field than he did sitting at a desk.

Major Kawalsky had been the first to welcome him to SG-1, stating that if he was anything like the late Jack O'Neill, he would be the best commanding officer they could ever have hoped for and Airman Wells and Dr Rothman had taken their cues from him.

They worked well together as a team, something that Samantha had remarked on the first time she had joined them for a scientific mission.

Knowing that Kawalsky had been his counterpart's closest friend, General O'Neill hadn't wanted to push a friendship with the other man, who resembled the Kawalsky from his own reality so much, in character as well as in appearance, but Kawalsky had had no problems welcoming a new friend.

It was strange that he didn't miss his former reality; he thought of it at times, wondering how the SGC there was faring, whether, in his absence, Daniel Jackson had been allowed to rejoin the SGC and continue his search for Sha're.

He hoped so.

He hoped that the Earth in his former reality was safe but this reality had quickly become home, a home in which, if the calculations of the Asgard scientists were accurate, he could live for at least another sixty-eight point two years before entropic cascade failure became a problem.

He glanced impatiently at his watch, resisting the urge to order Rothman to hurry, knowing that if he did the archaeologist was bound to get distracted and find something vital to study if he did.

"Date tonight, General?" Kawalsky, asked, though he already knew the answer perfectly well.

"Yes."

"Me and Wells'll drag him back if he doesn't finish up on time." He promised.

General O'Neill grinned. "Thanks."

Kawalsky was silent for a few moments, inwardly debating whether or not he should say more. "Jack… Colonel O'Neill was my best friend. Dr C's very important to all of us. I know you're a good guy, but I think that it's only fair to warn you that if you ever hurt her, I'll be first in line to kick your ass, general or not."

"Understood."

"Good." He looked across at Rothman. "You about ready to leave?"

When Rothman nodded his assent, he found himself hustled towards the 'gate by Airman Wells, who was eager to return to Earth and his fiancée, while General O'Neill punched in Earth's address, waiting until the wormhole had been established before sending their iris code through.

**_

* * *

_**

****

**_SGA_ **

Nobody in the control room questioned Samantha's appearance a few minutes before SG-1 was due to return.

General Hammond gave her a welcoming smile before returning his attention to the 'gate below. The chevrons locked and glowed as the 'gate came to life.

"Offworld activation." Sergeant Harriman reported, his eyes glued to the monitor. "It's SG-1's IDC."

"Open the iris." Hammond ordered unnecessarily. The iris was open before he finished speaking. He smiled at Samantha when four men exited the wormhole seconds later, nodding assent to her unspoken request to meet the team in the 'gate room.

"Doctor." Airman Wells' polite greeting was echoed by Rothman.

"Hey, Sam." Kawalsky grinned at her. "Come to make sure that we brought him back in one piece?

Ignoring him, she slipped her hand into Jon's, waiting until he had leaned forward and kissed her cheek before speaking.

"Welcome home."

THE END

_Author's Note: Guess who are up next? In the meantime, please review._


	4. IV: Gone Fishing

**Disclaimer:** 'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

**Author's Note I:** Thanks for all the reviews, everybody. Sorry about the delay.

**Author's Note II:** Sam and Jack, one year later. This story takes place shortly after the events of "Divide and Conquer".

**Author's Note III: **To all those on the Sam/Jack ship thread at Gateworld, Happy Ship Day.

* * *

**Gone Fishing **

**_J_****_ack's cabin, Minnesota _**

"Do you guys ever wonder how the other versions of yourselves are doing?"

"Sometimes." Sam kept her gaze trained on her fishing pole as she answered Daniel's query. "At least we know that they all made it back to their realities safely. Except General O'Neill." She amended.

"I'm sure that he's fine where he is." Jack said briskly. He gave the fishing pole in his hand a pat, tracing the small screen of the monitor. "I'll always have a soft spot for whichever Carter designed this."

"Dr Carter." Sam filled in.

"Right, her." Jack made a face. "I can't believe that the me from her reality was a _geek_."

"Jonathan was a lot of help when we were working on the mirror." Sam reminded him. "There might be eight of us here now instead of two if he hadn't found the address for P7L-886."

"Good point." Jack acknowledged. "I like being the only one of me in my reality." He returned his attention to the pond and to the newly upgraded motion sensor on his fishing pole. "Y'know, Carter, if you marketed these things, you'd make a fortune."

"Of what use is a device designed to sense the motion of fish when there are no fish present?" Teal'c queried, scowling as yet another mosquito bit him.

"It's not about catching fish." Jack explained patiently. "It's about _fishing_."

"What is the difference between the two?"

"It's not really important if we actually catch anything." Sam said, seeing that Jack was temporarily rendered speechless by this blasphemy. "It's nice to just hang out together."

"See?" Jack pointed at her, his expression triumphant. "Carter gets it."

"It's fun, Teal'c." Sam smiled up at the Jaffa, offering him a fishing pole. "Try it."

"I do not believe that this activity is one that I will find enjoyable." Teal'c stated, unmoved by Sam's coaxing. He frowned when yet another mosquito bit him. "And these insects are irritating."

"There must be something about Jaffa blood that they like." Jack suggested.

"I am going to further explore the area." Teal'c decided. "Would you join me, Daniel Jackson?" He asked the other man pointedly.

"Sure." Daniel agreed. "I've got to side with Teal'c here, guys – I don't think that fishing is my thing."

"Your loss." Jack told them, watching as the two men departed. "Just you and me now, Carter." He said after a few moments of silence.

She smiled in return, albeit a little nervously.

The past week had been tough on the whole team, but on both of them in particular. Jack had insisted on dragging his friends up to the cabin for some much needed time off.

_"Because I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to." _

His reluctant confession replayed over and over in his head, the words that had saved him from having to choose between getting his brain fried by Anise's machine or being put to sleep indefinitely but that had revealed a secret that he had tried to keep hidden, especially following their encounter with the other O'Neills and Carters a year earlier.

He chuckled dryly. He clearly hadn't been very successful in hiding his feelings, if Hammond's words of advice when he had approved SG-1's vacation time were any indication.

"Sir?" Sam looked up at his laugh.

"Jack." He corrected. "The 'S' word is not to be used at this cabin, remember."

"Sorry, s… Jack." She amended, fixing her gaze on the still surface of the pond. A gentle hand touched her shoulder, drawing her attention back from the water.

"We need to talk, Sam." Jack said quietly.

"I know."

"About the whole zarc thing, what I said…"

"Jack…"

"I meant every word." He said quietly. The silence stretched between them for a couple of minutes before Jack spoke again. "I wanted you to know that. We don't have to say anything else, we can leave it in the room if you want to, if you don't feel the same way."

"I don't." Seeing the brief flash of disappointment cross his face at her first words, she elaborated. "I don't want to leave it in the room."

* * *

Jack's cabin was set amid a large plot of protected land, partially shielded from the outside world by clumps of forest, which Daniel and Teal'c were hiking through, wanting to give their friends some privacy.

"Do you think that they'll go for it?" Daniel asked, stifling a sneeze. Although he knew perfectly well that Major O'Neill would not be able to follow through with his threat to come back to make sure that he and Teal'c had done their duty as matchmakers, he wanted his friends to be happy.

"I hope that they will." Teal'c said soberly. "It is true that life is short – and that this is especially true of warriors like O'Neill and Major Carter. They should not allow any chance for happiness to pass them by.

"They'd better not, not after all the time it took me to persuade the President to agree to an exemption to the frat regs." Daniel grumbled, sneezing again. Pollen did not agree with him.

Teal'c raised a surprised eyebrow. "I had little difficulty convincing him that, in this case, a suspension of the regulations would not prove detrimental. Nor did General Hammond."

"You _both_ talked to him?" Daniel asked incredulously. "He didn't say."

"I believe he considered it amusing for so many people to raise the issue, while those most concerned did not."

"Who else waylaid the poor man? Walter?" Daniel asked as the two men made their way back to the cabin.

"Dr Fraiser, I believe, and Anise."

"I thought that Anise had a crush on Jack."

"It is Freya who is interested in O'Neill. Anise is not."

"Ah."

The two men walked in silence for a few more minutes until the cabin came into view.

Daniel stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of his friends. "Ah… Maybe we should give them a little more time." He suggested, unwilling to intrude.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "Shall we continue our exploration, Daniel Jackson?"

"I think that'd be a good idea."

They turned away, moving back towards the forest to continue their walk. Daniel glanced back at the small pier and his friends, neither of whom had noticed his and Teal'c's approach, and grinned.

It was about time.

THE END.

_Author's Note: This piece took longer than I thought to get done, so sorry about the update delay. Thank you for reading. Reviews are, as always, very welcome._


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